Review: Nutri-Blender Recipe Bible by Robin Donovan

What’s this book about?

Not quite the size of a true bible, this book packs some cool recipes in a fairly small book (198 pages). It provides ‘healthy superfood smoothies, soups and more from your single-serving blender’. Chapters include smoothies and milks, soups, salad dressings, sauces, burgers and sweets.

What’s good about this book

It’s easy to get into this book. There’s no complicated nutritional dictionary to start off with (no ‘combine this with that, but do not ever, for the sake of all humanity, eat this after that or before that’). The author starts off with an introduction of herself and her husband, before moving onto a section with information about nutri-blenders. Recipes are clear and mostly easy to make.

What does she mean by nutri-blenders

The author describes nuts-blenders as ‘small, high-powered blenders that come with blades that are designed to break down whole fruits, vegs, nuts etc, making the nutrients more accessible. Basically, we’re talking bullet blenders here, like the nutribullet or nutrininja or any small blender.

Nutri-blenders do a better job than carafe-style blenders

That’s a statement in the book. Apparently, when you compare nutriblenders with carafe-style blenders, the small blenders do a better job of breaking down tough or fibrous foods. Nah, not true. Thankfully it does, later on, state that high-end blenders like Blendtec and Vitamin can do the same but cost four times more. Although bullet blenders can be incredibly helpful, my Optimum 9400 makes mince meat out of them and consistently does a better job at smooth food than the bullet blender.

Least favourite recipes

Chilled Honeydew Soup

Peanut Butter and Honey Bars

Coconut Date Caramel

Frozen Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

What’s a bit silly

The things that bothered me most were the huge quantities of some of the recipes, when this book is supposed to focus on your ‘single-serving’ blender. Some of the soups make a litre; I know some of the bullet blenders come with a large blending cup (like the NutriBullet; it can handle up to 32oz, which is just shy of a litre), but my little blender only has a small cup which is 500ml or so. Some of the recipes really are better suited to a big blender.

Anything else silly

Yeah. I didn’t like the mention to beat the eggs before adding to the blender. I mean, they’re going in a blender.

Do I recommend this book

Yup, I do. It’s got some beaut recipes that I reckon you’ll refer to for frequent use. The recipes are mostly easy, innovative, time saving and healthy. There’s lots of anchovy in this book but just block that out if you’re a veggie like me or you strongly dislike them (like my hubby). Replace with capers!